1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a battery terminal which comprises a battery terminal body for mounting on a battery post, and a corrosion-protective cover for preventing the corrosion of the battery terminal body.
2. Related Art
One known conventional battery terminal, including a battery terminal body and a corrosion-protective cover, is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication Hei. 10-12214.
In FIG. 11, the battery terminal body 141 includes a pair of annular portions 145a and 145b arranged in an upward-downward direction. A battery post insertion hole 147 for the insertion of a battery post 103 therein is formed in each of the annular portions 145a and 145b. Each of the annular portions 145a and 145b is interrupted at a portion thereof in a circumferential direction to provide a fastening gap 149, and therefore each annular portion 145a, 145b is open at this interrupted portion.
The upper and lower annular portions 145a and 145b are interconnected by a pair of fastening portions 155 and 155 formed adjacent to the fastening gaps 149. Joint plates 151a and 151b are formed respectively at those portions of the annular portions 145a and 145b disposed in diametrically-opposite relation to the fastening gaps 149, and these joint plates 151a and 151b are superposed together to form a wire connection portion. A terminal fixing bolt 153 is formed upright on the joint plate 151a. 
A through hole 157 is formed through each of the pair of fastening portions 155 and 155 (interconnecting the upper and lower annular portions 145a and 145b) in a right-left direction. A fastening bolt 159 is passed through these through holes 157 generally in a manner to extend across the fastening gaps 149.
The fastening bolt 159, passing through the through holes 157, cooperates with a nut 161 (threaded on a distal end portion of this fastening bolt) to fasten the pair of fastening portions 155 and 155 (disposed respectively on the opposite sides of each fastening gap 149) toward each other. When this fastening operation is effected, the battery post insertion hole 147 in each annular portion 145a, 145b is reduced in diameter.
The corrosion-protective cover 163 is provided between the battery terminal body 141 and a battery. The corrosion-protective cover 163 has a bottom plate portion 165, and a wall portion 167 for surrounding side surfaces of the annular portions 145a and 145b and a side surface of the wire connection portion is formed at a peripheral edge of the bottom plate portion 165. A hole 169 for the passage of the battery post 103 therethrough is formed through a central portion of the bottom plate portion 165.
An interposition portion 171 for insertion into the fastening gaps 149 is formed upright at one end of the bottom plate portion 165. A through hole 173 for the passage of the fastening bolt 159 therethrough is formed through the interposition portion 171. The interposition portion 171 is tapering at its opposite side surfaces toward its distal end.
In the above construction, the interposition portion 171 of the corrosion-protective cover 163 is inserted into the fastening gaps 149 formed respectively in the annular portions 145a and 145b. The corrosion-protective cover 163 and the battery terminal body 141 are combined together, and the battery post 103 is inserted into the hole 169 and the battery post insertion holes 147.
The fastening bolt 159 is passed through the pair of fastening portions 155 and 155 and the interposition portion 171, and the nut 161 is threaded on this fastening bolt, and is tightened. As a result, the pair of fastening portions 155 and 155 are moved toward each other, so that the annular portions 145a and 145b are brought into intimate contact with the outer peripheral surface of the battery post 103. The annular portions 145a and 145b, held in intimate contact with the battery post 103 of a tapering shape, are deformed in conformity with the tapering shape of the battery post 103, so that opposed edges 155a and 155a of the pair of fastening portions 155 and 155 are inclined in a downwardly-spreading manner as shown in FIG. 12. As a result, the opposed edges 155a and 155a become parallel to the corresponding opposite side surfaces of the interposition portion 171, respectively. When the nut 161 is further tightened, the opposed edges 155a and 155a makes a parallel translation to approach each other, and are held in contact with the opposite side surfaces of the interposition portion 171, respectively, in parallel relation thereto.
There are occasions when the battery terminal, once mounted on the battery post 103, need to be removed from the battery post 103. Therefore, the following problems are encountered. Namely, the pair of fastening portions 155 and 155 of the battery terminal, removed from the battery post 103, are slightly lowered in mechanical characteristics, and therefore when again mounting the battery terminal on the battery post 103, the fastening operation must be effected with a larger force as compared with the preceding fastening operation. In other words, the pair of the fastening portions 155 and 155 must be moved closer to each other as compared with the preceding fastening operation. As a result, when the mounting operation and the removing operation are repeated again and again, there is a fear that the mounting of the battery terminal on the battery post 103 is completed in such a manner that the fastening is not sufficiently effected because of interference of the inserted interposition portion 171. There is another fear that the interposition portion 171 is damaged by the large fastening force acting thereon.
And besides, in the above conventional technique, the joined condition of the corrosion-protective cover 163 and battery terminal body 141 is unstable until the fastening bolt 159 is passed through the interposition portion 171, and therefore there is encountered a problem that the efficiency of the operation is low. In addition, the fastening bolt 159 is withdrawn and inserted, for example, when exchanging the corrosion-protective cover 163, and therefore there is encountered a problem that the efficiency of the operation is low.